3 Cleared Of Aiding Terrorists From Ira

The young IRA gunrunner twisted in his seat and raised a thumb to his elderly parents, trying to cheer them as a court clerk repeated "guilty" over and over again on Tuesday.

Conor Claxton didn't care about the final three-dozen verdicts because he had already won the two that mattered most. He wasn't guilty of providing aid to terrorists or conspiring to kill soldiers in Northern Ireland, jurors decided, and that meant he wasn't going to spend the rest of his life in a U.S. prison.

What Claxton, Martin Mullan and Anthony Smyth were found guilty of is conspiring to buy dozens of guns in South Florida, lying to arms dealers and mailing the weapons to Ireland. They face a maximum of 10 years in prison when they are sentenced in August, but will likely get lesser penalties.

"I'm ecstatic. This is the best-case scenario for us," said Fred Haddad, Claxton's attorney. "He got up on the stand and admitted he did everything else. But the terrorism charges are what we had to beat and we couldn't be happier."

The men were arrested in July on gun charges, but when prosecutors announced the three were Irish Republican Army soldiers bent on destroying the peace process, the case gained international attention. The gun shipments came amid a Northern Ireland cease-fire and drew the attention of the U.S. State Department, Scotland Yard and politicians from England, Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Since the arrests, defense attorneys and even some federal investigators had argued that this was simply a gun case. But prosecutors upped the stakes, adding terrorism charges and weaving a fascinating tale of international gun smuggling, clandestine meetings and a shady underworld bent on kicking the British out of Northern Ireland.

In the end, the terrorism allegations hurt prosecutors on two fronts. First, jurors said they knew those counts carried long prison sentences and were reluctant to convict.

Second, Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Scruggs had to explain the political struggles in Northern Ireland. That opened the door for defense attorneys to show jurors the racism, murder and terror they said Irish Catholics have suffered at the hands of British soldiers and Protestant terrorists for decades.

At the center of the defense was Claxton, 27, of Belfast, who looked more a student than a murderous thug. He took the witness stand and told jurors of growing up under British rule, describing the segregated schools, random strip searches of children and adults alike, and assaults he said were routine.

He took all the blame for the gun-smuggling operation, saying his colleagues were innocent. The longer he stayed on the stand, the more likeable he became, said two jurors who asked not to be identified.

"He was a good soldier, don't you think?" said one juror, adding that she didn't believe much of what he said but respected his devotion. Another juror said the evidence, including 300 of Claxton's fingerprints and a full confession, was overwhelming, and they never considered that Mullan and Smyth, a used car dealer from Weston, weren't involved.

From the beginning, Scruggs suspected the lengthy prison sentences could lead to an acquittal on counts two and three, the heart of his case. Just days into the trial, a juror was dismissed after he told fellow jurors the men faced life in prison.

"I had a feeling about that, but I'm not going to second-guess a jury," Scruggs said. "We didn't get everything, but we stopped a major gunrunning operation, and our investigation is continuing. This isn't over."

Federal agents from the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms said they are now looking at similar operations in Boston, St. Louis, Detroit, Philadelphia and New York. They are also investigating South Florida residents who may have supplied money to Claxton.

Scruggs has already won convictions against Smyth's girlfriend, Siobhan Browne of Boca Raton, and Boynton Beach gun dealer Ed Bluestein, who sold most of the guns to the group. They both pleaded guilty and will be sentenced with Mullan, Smyth and Claxton on Aug. 18.

While Claxton's parents and sister seemed pleased with Monday's verdict, Mullan's family lashed out at Scruggs.

As he spoke to reporters outside the courtroom, Mullan's sobbing mother, Theresa, approached Scruggs and asked him to release her son and let him return to Ireland with her.

"Please! Please! Please! He's my son. I just want to hold him. Don't you have a son of your own?" she yelled. "Catholics are being killed every day in Northern Ireland and you are telling me this isn't political."

She was quickly led away by other supporters who also berated Scruggs. One said he deserved "a bullet to the head."

Scruggs pointed to the supporters and said, "That's what we're talking about, that's what this case is about, this irrational anger and hate directed at one group."

Asked if the hatred and racism is two-sided, Scruggs said it wasn't his job to decide who is right.